Welcome to Suomikoulu DC, the Finnish school of Washington DC
About Us
Suomikoulu DC is part of the worldwide Suomi-koulu organization, which is working to preserve Finnish culture and language among young people of Finnish origin. The Suomi-koulu organization’s work is supported by the Finnish government. Our primary goal is to support parents in their efforts to transfer Finnish language and heritage to their children. We focus on teaching children to understand and speak Finnish. Reading and writing are taught when children are ready. Our school also offers children various experiences related to Finnish culture, such as art and crafts. Feel free to contact us if you’re interested in learning more. Thank you for visiting!
P.S. We use English when communicating administrative matters since we have some parents who are not fluent in Finnish. However, at school we aim to use only Finnish with the children.
P.S. Osaamme suomea erinomaisesti, vaikka nettisivumme ovatkin englanniksi. Englanti on koulumme virallinen viestintäkieli, jotta voimme palvella myös suomea taitamattomia vanhempia. Koulutiloissa pyrimme käyttämään pelkästään suomen kieltä.
Suomikoulu DC, Inc. admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
News
Tule meille töihin!
Etsimme kahta uutta opettajaa lukuvuodeksi 2021-22 työskentelemään lasten kielitaidon kehittämisen parissa. Toivomme sinulla olevan vankkaa kokemusta lasten tai nuorten kanssa työskentelystä ja innostusta suomen kielen ja kulttuurin… Read more “Tule meille töihin!”
Find us on YouTube
You can now also find Suomikoulu DC on YouTube! Check out children’s music videos, like & subscribe. We look forward to introducing the world of Finnish children’s… Read more “Find us on YouTube”
Classes
Classes will be held every other Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm; please see our calendar for exact dates. Instruction focuses on developing the students’ Finnish language comprehension and oral skills. Our older students also practice their Finnish reading and writing skills. Each teacher plans an engaging school day with fun activities to encourage the students practice their Finnish skills in a range of ways. Arts and crafts activities are incorporated into the school day to further increase the children’s understanding and appreciation of the Finnish culture and traditions. Each group gets to visit the school library to take out some Finnish books for home. The school day also includes a break for lunch and recess.
Oravat (3-4 years)
The focus in this age group is learning and practising spoken Finnish, and to enrich the children’s vocabulary in a nurturing atmosphere. During the day we sing songs, read stories, play various musical games and rhymes. We make arts and crafts that reflect the season and Finnish culture.
Book used:
Pyyhittävä Heikun keikun -puuhakirja (Oppi&ilo)
Siilit (4-5 years)
Children in this group focus on learning Finnish through songs, rhymes, stories, crafts and games. We also learn Finnish letters and sounds, but the main focus is on learning fluent spoken Finnish and enriching the students’ vocabulary.
Book used:
Pikkumetsän esiopetus (WSOY)
Porot (6-7 years)
Children in this group focus on learning the basics of reading and writing in Finnish. We aim to build a strong foundation of sound, syllable and word-level fluency in both reading and writing. Spoken language and vocabulary are developed through games, rhymes, songs, stories and poetry. We learn about different Finnish celebrations throughout the year and engage in a range of arts and crafts activities.
Books used:
Seikkailujen Aapinen (Otava)
Seikkailujen tehtäväkirja 1, syksy (Otava)
Ketut (7-9 years)
The Fox class is a group of children who speak two or more languages at home and Finnish primary only with one parent. Most children in this class speak Finnish with fluency and know the basics of reading and writing in Finnish. In this class, the emphasis is on developing children’s understanding of spoken Finnish, broadening vocabulary, and deepening Finnish cultural knowledge by having a fun time through games, stories, crafts and play.
Books used:
Apilatien lukukirja ja harjoituskirja (Sanoma Pro)
Karhut (9-13 years)
Karhut group consists of our oldest students, aged 9 to 13. Students in this group already master spoken Finnish and are also able to read in Finnish fluently. In this class, the emphasis is on broadening the students’ vocabulary, improving their grammatical proficiency as well as accuracy of written text. Karhut group also learns about Finnish culture, traditions and key events in the Finnish history. Art and craft activities are incorporated into each school day.
Books used:
Kulkuri 3 (Sanoma Pro)
Kynäkulkuri 3 harjoituskirja (Sanoma Pro)